Smartphone taxi apps are going online in Amman, and soon bad cabbie behavior will be drummed out of the marketplace. So before competition turns our surly drivers into best-behaved chauffeurs, enjoy these wacky reasons cabbies gave the Al Bawaba’s Amman team for not picking us up.

From flying carpets to terrorists, Hollywood has it all wrong when it comes to the Middle East. Check out these eight movies made in MENA to gain a more nuanced view of this surprisingly vibrant region.

The Middle East region presents varying challenges during Ramadan for those not required to partake or who chose to opt out of their religious obligations. Here is Al Bawaba's cross-section of the Arab world's various approaches toward Ramadan - from the strictest to the more lenient and free-fasting.